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south deck falling apart
Monday, September 22 2025
setting: rural Hurley Township, Ulster County, New York
After work I took Charlotte for a not-incredible walk up the Farm Road and then back home through the scrub forest on the highlands to its west. One of things I noticed was the strange way the small white pines look after having been defoliated by caterpillars in the spring and then regrowing a second set of needles, which appear as dense tufts at the ends of branches. With every walk I take Charlotte on, I almost always bring home a few small pieces of bluestone for my latest bluestone project, which lately has been the construction of a low stone wall on the downhill side of the Woodshed Path, which forms a "mountain goat path" gradually down a steep slope just south of the house.
With the task of making dinner, I was feeling uncreative, so I just made spaghetti, which is always a hit with Gretchen. I didn't have any vegetables, so I tore up some lettuce and chopped some tomatoes to make a salad, though I left it to Gretchen to put dressing on it.
Later this evening, Gretchen showed me something that had recently happened to our little-used south deck. The railing on its south end had fallen partially away from the deck and was now leaning out about 45 degrees, taking with it one of the decking planks as well as the rim joist with it. I looked to see how it had been attached and saw the corroded remains of old deck screws that had only gone about three quarters of an inch into the joists. Not a single joist hanger had been used.
Later when I went to take a nice hot bath, I noticed we didn't have our usual abundance of blistering hot solar-heated water. This indicates the hydronic loop to the solar panel has developed bubbles in it and needs to be recharged with fluid.
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